Lion Between Crocodiles
by Damian Rancow
Summary: Kion is raised by Makuu and his float after conspiracy on his family.
1. Chapter 1

The young lion groaned, slowly opening both of his tired eyes with all his strength. Kion felt terrible back pain, as he himself was very weak to move at all. The cub felt a breeze of someone's breath above his head that was so strong that it blew on his red mane.

Kion tried to get up, but was forced to lay back in his position by a pair of firm green claws.

"The lion child is awake" spoke one of the voices, that seemed harsh and repeated. "You hear me? The lion child is awake"

The young lion raised his head and looked ahead. Before his eyes he saw another pairs of green reptile legs that stood right in front and slowly approached him. Kion no longer had to guess what it was, he knew from his experience that those were crocodiles. More specifically, Makuu's float.

The lion cub looked up and saw Makuu. The leader of the float was covering young feline with his own scaly body in protective manner, as the crocodile himself looked sad and concerned about child's health.

Makuu gingerly caressed Kion's chin and examined him, as the lion child was hardly breathing. Probably because of the heat he was experiencing.

"The lion cub looks dehydrated. Does anyone have some water?" he asked, caressing Kion's back as he darted his eyes between the crocodile teammates.

Other crocodiles exchanged glances and then shook their heads at an equal pace. It was their reply to this situation, while Makuu rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry Kion, we will find you some water" the adult male crocodile stated, before biting his own arm to the blood.

"Please, drink some" Makuu said solicitously, tears rolling his vertical pupils, seeing how much Kion is suffering. "It can be a little salty, but enough for you to be fed"

The crocodile put his arm closer to the little feline.

Kion did not hesitate, as he caught Makuu's arm with his both paws and slowly began to lick his wound with all his strength.

"Do not leave it for later boy" he growled firmly, pushing little feline face-to-face with the crocodile's scratch. "This is the only source of water at the moment"

The lion cub yelped, as he felt Makuu pushing his head against the wound. It was very painful, but afterwards Kion get used to it and began peacefully drinking. The crocodile was right, it was salty, but enough to make the lion orange cub feel hydrated and full at the same time.

After meal, Kion yawned and fell asleep in Makuu's embrance. On his muzzle remained driplets of blood. At that moment, Kion seemed like a docile kitten nestled in his mother, but instead of a mother there was a large green reptile.

The crocodile sadly smiled and pushed sleeping little cub closer to his stomach, covering him with his large scaly tail, that Kion would not be cold and unintentionally gathering the float around him. Although his fleet was full of crocodiles, one small creature stood out among them.

Royal blue gecko Hodari, He was crying, covering his both eyes with paws.

"What would we do now? Outlanders! They killed King Simba and now they are on the throne"

"Shhh" Makuu hissed, but Hodari didn't seem to listen.

"You know what Outlanders do to those who were on Simba's side!?" the gecko continued and began to sweat. "What if they will find us here?"

However, the gecko calmed down when he saw his master's wounded paw. His pupils widened, just looking at it.

"M-master?" Hodari asked, without taking his eyes off the wound. "What happened to you?

"You need to be silent" the male crocodile continued to hiss. "By the way, I was feeding Kion"

The blue reptile's cheeks reddened, as he nervously giggled realizing that he would accidentally wake up a little lion.

"I-I'm s-sorry" Hodari stepped back with a chuckle. "I almost forgot that Kion is here"

Makuu sighed, as tears rolled his both eyes.

"Prince can't know that his family was killed by Outlanders" he whispered, but so audibly that the gecko heard him. "Did you think what would happen if the prince heard that?"

Hodari glanced on the floor with ashamed look.

"But... Kion is no longer a prince…"

"Maybe he is not a prince" Makuu repeated with a sad tone. "But he also saved my life... Just like you"

The gecko sighed, as he listened to Makuu's words.

"I need to return the favor" the male crocodile said, nuzzling sleeping lion cub's head. "I promised that I would protect Kion from the Outlanders and not let these animals find him"

Makuu looked at Hodari and sighed.

"From today, Kion despite appearance is a crocodile and belongs to my fleet" the male crocodile said with the firm tone. "I'm now his adoptive father"

The gecko gulped.

"What if Outlanders will notice that Kion looks different compared to us?"

"You are an gecko" Makuu laughed. "And no one noticed that you are not the crocodile"

Hodari sarcastically laughed.

"Haha, very funny master" the gecko said sarcastically. "But I'm asking serious. What if Outlanders will look for Kion between us?"

At that moment Makuu became serious. The crocodile looked thoughtful and he started looking around in hope one of his crocodile friends will give him an answer. After a moment he looked at the gecko waiting for the reply.

"Kion doesn't seem aware of what's happening around him, so he'll be hidden under my belly most of the time" the male crocodile said with a smirk. "Just like now"

The gecko raised his eyebrow and smiled.

"You have apparently become used to the role of daddy, didn't you master?"

Makuu blushed, as he glanced at the sleeping Kion.

"It's ok bud, daddy will gonna protect you from those who are not nice to you and keep you safe in Flood Plains"

Kion groaned in the sleep, to which the crocodile's answer was licking cub's mane.

"Don't worry Kion" Makuu said with a smile. "You're safe here"

It took a moment for him to realize that his subjects were scanning him with their eyes.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost night. The first night since the Outlanders rule began. This time was safer because they were not looking for Prince Kion at the time.

Smaller animals, who were on the side of the Royal Family, hid in burrows dug by themselves to avoid visit of new rulers, while the larger animals decided to stand on the side of heretics. They had no choice, otherwise they would be killed for disobedience or uprising against them.

Lake Matope, that's how this place was called, was always beautiful during the sunsets in the rainy season.

Crocodiles have always loved to bathe at such times of day, but the feel knowing what happened to Kion's family prevented them from doing that task.

As soon as the starry night came, the lake had only two users.

Makuu, who with the help of his green claws, tried to wash the little lion from blood. The problem, however, was that the cub still feeling thundering pain from his wounds, tried to break free from the grip of a large reptile.

Kion crying, each tear becoming part of this muddy lake, kicked and tried to scratch the crocodile who was holding him right now. On the occasion, with vague voice he called both parents, to take him away.

"Please, calm down buddy" Makuu whispered lightly stroking Kion on his barely washed back. "This will last for a few minutes, then it's all over"

The crocodile was doing everything he could to make the little lion calm down and stop crying. He knew that this was not a good time to tell the little lion about his family.

When all the cub's strength was exhausted, all Kion could do right now was sincere crying.

The adult crocodile sighed sadly and with closed eyes cuddled the small lion in a grip. Kion was still trying to break free, but after almost a minute he gave up.

Makuu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the little one.

The young lion was sleeping, as he moved slowly to find a comfortable position, his right arm with the tattoo was closest to the head of the crocodile.

Makuu sighed. Filling his claw with water, the crocodile began to massage the cub's arm until the lion guard team tattoo was completely gone.

"You don't need to defend Circle of Life anymore, Kion" the adult crocodile said with a saddened tone. "It was already disturbed"

Makuu hugged Kion one more time, then with a simple grasp, the reptile put the little cub on his green back. After this action, he began to head ashore, where other crocodiles and Hodari were waiting for him.

When he set his first limb on the sandy surface, he turned his gaze towards his float.

"Everything is under control" the adult crocodile stated, trying to cover himself with a smug smile. "The lion prince just fell asleep during his... OUR bath"

Makuu noticed that Hodari seemed absent at the moment, as if all his cheerful personality had been drained of him. The adult crocodile glanced at his teammates and took off wet Kion from his back and gave him for the nearest friend.

"Take care of him, I need to talk with my friend..." he darted his eyes between them and the small gecko. "...right now"

The royal blue gecko raised his head, then a wide smile appeared on his muzzle. It's been a long time since he had a friendly and private conversation with his master.

A group of crocodiles nodded, taking the little lion to the nearest acacia and sitting down next to Kion under it. For a moment you could see them arguing over who was to warm the baby with the scaly body. The winner was the largest crocodile, which slid Kion under the stomach with the help of his narrow muzzle.

The leader of the crocodiles smirked seeing this, before turning his gaze to Hodari.

The royal blue gecko looked sad, as if he saw several wars before his eyes, as if he thought that everything that happened at that moment was only his fault.

The adult crocodile sighed and lied next to the gecko. When Hodari didn't react, Makuu gently nuzzled him in the side.

"Something wrong, Little guy?" Makuu asked with concern in his voice. "You don't look like you're in a good mood"

The royal blue gecko moved his eyes toward his master, before moving them back to his reflection in the water.

"Master..." he sighed before continuing. "...I think you should banish me from your float"

Makuu's smug smile disappeared, as he looked at Hodari with aghast expression. He would never expect such words from a gecko who tried so hard to be in this float.

"B-bu... B-but" the adult crocodile stammered with confusion in his tone. "But why? You're loyal toward me"

Only then did he notice that Hodari was crying.

"I-If o-only I wasn't such a s-selfish creature" he took a heavy breath, trying to stop his tears. "If only I hadn't told myself that I was a crocodile... Beshte and the Royal family would still be alive"

Makuu rolled his eyes with sadness.

"You helped me in fight against Kiburi" the leader of the crocodiles tried to cheer him up, but Hodari ignored it.

"It was my pride and teaching Kiburi my moves that led to all this!" the royal gecko yelled with raised voice. "Who knows, maybe he taught the Outlanders my moves"

"Hodari... that's not your fa-"

"I heard crocodiles eats smaller crocodiles to overpower" the royal blue gecko trailed off with a nervous laugh. "Why wouldn't you do that with me and then convince yourself that our meetings never took place?"

It was a question that terrified even Makuu.

It wasn't the same Hodari anymore as before the Outlanders' invasion. It was worser that Makuu even thought. The war-affected gecko went crazy thinking it was all because of him.

The adult crocodile shook his head and slowly stepped back with frightened expression, as the part of the float looked at the royal blue gecko in horror.

It was a sufficient move that made Hodari cry louder.


	3. Chapter 3

Kion was awakened by the sound of waves near his whereabouts. The first thing the cub noticed after slow opening of his heavy eyes that he was on the beach,

The little lion would almost overheat if not for the fact, that he covered by the shadow of acacia looming over him.

He recognized Lake Matope easily, as he was a frequent visitor of that place along with his friends. Kion, trying to tilt his head, felt the grip on his whole body that prevented him from movement.

Someone was squeezing him very hard, giving the cub only one thought.

"M-mom? P-please... let me g-go..." Kion stuttered with weakness in his usually confident voice, but he didn't get the answer

Instead of it, the young lion heard the sound of snoring. Snoring so abominable, that it would scare away all herbivores from it. Kion thought he should let go, until he remembered one specific thing.

His mother never snored.

Kion, shaking with fear, glanced up and froze.

The red mane of the little lion was covered by a narrow green snout. The owner of this jaw was by no means a mammal, because the reptile's belly was hard and scrubbed Kion painfully on the side of his body, but it got worse when the young lion tried to get out from under the predator with fright in both of his orange-brown eyes.

Too weakened to fight alone, the young cub started screaming.

"MOM! DAD! KIARA! ANYBODY!" he cried, tone drastically changing with each scream. "P-PLEASE HELP ME!"

To his surprise, neither his family nor Lion Guard friends came at his call, to top it all his yells only woke up other crocodiles nearby. The crocodile that was above him also came out of sleep.

A crowd of green reptiles began to gather around him, everyone whispering to each other while looking at the cub. None of them smiled and looked... sad?

Kion began to feel growing anxiety when he noticed that one of them was starting to approach him and sighed with relief when he recognized that one.

"I'm glad you're awake, little one" the leader of the crocodiles greeted Kion with a sad smile. "It's been a few hours since you fell asleep"

"M-Makuu?" the lion cub mumbled tiredly. "W-what's happening? W-what am I d-doing h-here?"

The adult crocodile felt at that moment that he should tell Kion the whole truth, but with one sigh he came to his senses. He had to play his part right now.

"You were badly hurt during one mission with your friends" those were first words that escaped Makuu's muzzle. "You know, in your home, Pride Rock"

Kion smiled, when he remembered about it.

"Yeah, I kicked Kiburi's butt" he replied without hesitation. "That ugly crocodile made a big mistake trying to hurt my family"

The cub laughed nervously, when he noticed Makuu staring at him with shock.

"Sorry, about that" Kion noted, feeling uncomfortable. "I shouldn't say that about..."

"No no, It's alright" the leader of the crocodiles shook his head. "You can insult him at will"

The cub tried to get up, but was forced to lay again by other crocodiles, who sat right next to him.

"I hope my friends..." Kion stopped to take a breath. "... are taking care of my family now, while I'm here"

At the moment the adult crocodile felt weak. Really, really weak. He felt terrible being forced to lie to such a small and innocent child. A small lion smiling towards him made it even worse.

Makuu started shaking uncontrollably whenever he thought about what would happen, when it would all come out.

"Makuu?" Kion raised his eyebrow with curiosity, after noticing the adult crocodile's behavior. "Is something wrong? Did I said something wrong?"

"Um, huh?" Makuu found himself back away from his thoughts. With one glance at Kion, the crocodile tried to imitate his trademark smug smile. "What did you think something was wrong? Of course everything is fine!"

The leader of the crocodiles stepped closer to the little lion.

"Anyway, you need to rest" he stated with a sigh. "My older friend should keep you company during your nap, by the way he will keep you a little warm with his body"

The weakened young lion yawned, as he settled himself slowly in a comfortable position under the lightened belly of other crocodile.

"I think you're right" Kion said with vague and weaker voice after a moment's reflection. "If you could, tell my friends and family that I am here, that they would not worry about me"

Makuu was silent for a moment before swallowing.

"Yes, Kion" the crocodile replied with a hint of nervousness in his tone. "I will"

The little lion was already absorbed in his dreams.

The leader of the crocodiles gently caressed the Kion's mane and sighed, as the members of his fleet backed away to give more space to the two except for the crocodile, who warmed the sick cub with his body.

"Ah, Kion, Kion" Makuu growled with a returning sadness. "If only you knew the whole truth"

The leader of the crocodiles glanced at member of his float, who was currently covering the little lion with his own body.

"You are free" Makuu offered. "Go swimming with your friends and I will take care of the lion child"

The taller crocodile nodded and without a word, slowly left sleeping Kion, then bypassing his master he went in the direction of the muddy lake.

Parental instinct increased in Makuu, as he approached the sleeping little one with more tears appearing in his eyes. Kion looked so innocent when he was sleeping and certainly didn't deserve to hear the truth about his family.

The adult crocodile laid down on the grassy surface and tailed the sleeping Kion forward.

"Don't worry, my child" Makuu stated with a shaky tone. "Kiburi and other Outlanders will pay for what they did to your family, but not now"

Makuu after those words, fell asleep next to his adoptive son.


	4. Chapter 4

**WARNING!**

**This chapter has brutal and morbid moments. It's also probably the chapter with worser grammar than previous chapters.**

**I hope you will like it :)**

* * *

**(THE PREVIOUS DAY)**

Kiburi felt proud when the young cub's father and the king of the whole Pride Lands was choking on the pressure of the narrow jaw around his neck.

His plan was successful when Simba failed to fight back and began bleeding terribly from under his mane.

Finally, he released the adult lion from his grip. Simba almost without trying to stand and inability to support himself fell to the stone floor of his home due to weakness and wounds he earned.

For a moment Kiburi saw the dying Simba look at him with a furious glare, but he didn't care. The adult crocodile gained power and no one could stand in his way.

The adult crocodile glanced at his minions, as he had to make sure of one thing.

The other crocodiles knocked most of the members of Lion Guard to the ground and smiled triumphantly towards their fleet leader. The children tried to break free from the clutches of nasty green reptiles, especially the female cheetah, who was the fastest among the other members.

From all of these, the only child was missing. The bird that managed to escape before it turned into real genocide.

"Well done, my friends" Kiburi said, approaching his subjects and bypassing the dead adult lion next to him. "You both did a good job, even if you didn't capture them all"

"Master Kiburi" the slimiest crocodile, Nduli caught his attention. "What should we do with these stupid guards?"

Kiburi glanced at the incapacitated young lion with a red mane. The cub looked terrified about the fact, that his roar did not throw Kiburi and his float into the air, but it only strengthened them. Seeing his father lying in a pool of blood, Kion started shouting desperately in his direction.

"Is this not obvious?" the leader of the evil float rolled his eyes, changing the direction of them towards his servants. "Finish them all, except the little lion"

The both minions glanced at each other, before returning their gaze at their leader.

"Wouldn't it be better to finish off the prince too?" the muscular crocodile Tamka asked.

Their leader raised his eyebrow.

"Prince? What prince?" he laughed, feeling offended by this question. "This brat is no prince! I'm the king!"

The both crocodiles laughed nervously along with him, this time fearing their master.

"Now, what are you waiting for?" Kiburi growled with more sinister voice. "Kill those ungrateful heretics!"

Two crocodiles looked at the four children and then stared at each other with a gulp. The reptiles did not even think that they would find themselves in such an awkward position, child homicide. One would understand if they had to kill an adult... but a child?

None of them seemed to have a choice. Pride Landers had a new king.

So they decided to start the execution with the hippo, since he was the hardest to catch. Slowly, they began to open their jaws toward him.

"You don't have to do this" the hippo child tried to calm the situation, but the narrow green jaws were getting closer to his chubby neck. "We will be obedient subjects, but please don't kill us"

"Do not listen to them" Kiburi advised to his minions. "It's trying to confuse you"

Beshte feeling that he is going to be killed in a moment, closed his eyes.

The rest of the Lion Guard team started screaming with panic, but only the little cub was put to sleep with a painful blow to his spine dealt by Kiburi.

**(LATER)**

Kion woke up with a jolt and took a breath after breath. The first thing he saw was a night sky full of stars, and he himself felt very weak.

The cub sighed with relief, but noticed something was wrong. The stars in the sky were changing position in the sky faster than usual and that was first, the second thing was that the floor seemed to move beneath him. And the third point, his body hurted like hell.

Kion rolled sideways with heavy fatigue and coughed.

The place where he lay looked like grass, but it wasn't grass. It was too hard for that, which didn't help his aching back.

The cub gently moved to the other side of the "grassy" surface, just not to feel this terrible pain.

It was a terrible mistake.

Trying to put himself in a comfortable position, Kion slid down and landed on the sand. Then the back pain became unbearable, which made the little lion cry.

Through his watery eyes he could see two silhouettes approaching him. So close that Kion could easily guess that they were not mammals.

"You dolt!" the voice yelled, right to the creature next to him. "I told you to tie him with lianas, to keep him attached to your back"

"I'm sorry Master Makuu" the other voice replied feeling guilty. "You are right, I should have done that"

The taller silhouette stepped closer to the crying cub.

"Everything will be fine, little one" said the creature with a caring voice, as it raised the cub in the air with a tail "I should have been more careful"


	5. Chapter 5

The second day of the Pride Lands came under the rule of the Outlanders. Despite the poorly visible sun between the trees, Kion was well rested.

The lion cub slowly got out of sleeping Makuu's grip, gently shook off the sand from his own body and then smiled. For the young creature, it meant a day full of new adventures.

Kion looked around and spotted a group of crocodiles slumbering at the muddy lake. Even from a distance the little cub could hear them snoring... and in one uneven chorus. The wheezing of sleeping crocodiles sounded so terrible, that made the child feel a headache.

He couldn't waste his precious time thinking now. He wanted to play with someone closest in this place.

The feline decided to start with a group of large green reptiles, because they were closest to him. Putting each paw on the hot sandy ground, Kion stopped next to the most muscular crocodile.

"Um, e-excuse me?" Kion started with mannered but a little hesitant expression, somehow trying to ignore their loud snoring.

The bulky green reptile swiftly opened his slightly red eyes on yellow sclera, For a moment he did not know who was talking to him, but he yawned when he perceived a small lion standing next to him.

"Ah, you're awake kid" the male crocodile spoke with a soft smile appearing on his snout. "Why didn't you decide to sleep a little longer? A nap always good for beauty and your strength"

Kion rolled his eyes with annoyance. He did not think that with these few sentences, this brave-looking crocodile would begin to sound like his mother.

After a moment, however, the lion cub smiled.

"Sir, I will say it normally to make it sound clear" Kion stated, approaching the crocodile enough to stick by his muzzle with reptile's narrow snout. "Will you play with me?"

The tired crocodile smiled.

"Not now, little one" he growled, putting himself back to sleep. "I'm tired right now and I want to sleep. I would recommend the same to you, since you do not look good"

There were bags under Kion's eyes, which convinced others that he was weary.

"I don't want to sleep" Kion muttered to him. "I'm bored and I want to do something, but it looks like no one here wants to play with me"

"If you don't want to sleep" the muscular crocodile continued. "I recommend you to play in the lake because others want to take a nap"

The lion cub glanced at the muddy lake right behind the bulky green reptile. Despite the dirt that was at the bottom, the lake itself looked clean from the surface and shallow, which was perfect for a young lion.

Kion sighed and then glanced at the male crocodile.

He was in the sleep.

"Well" the lion cub said to himself, avoiding the sleeping giant laying right next to him. "I'll have to get wet to find some fun"

Kion dipped his first paw in the water. He felt cold passing his body after the first touch of the lake. Then he dipped the next limbs, finding himself with lower half the body under the lake.

He was swimming ahead with thoughts focused on what he should do without his friends nearby. Would he do here anything interesting? Or maybe Circle of Life will give him an idea?

The lion cub raised his head and looked around.

The weather looked as usual and do not changed even before his awakening in Makuu's float. Right... Makuu...

Since Kion woke up, the adult crocodile has been quite nervous and has not revealed details about his family and friends.

Kion sat down, submerging his other body parts.

That was strange from Makuu, who was often confident and always had that smile. The lion cub remembered how he and the adult crocodile were always enemiessince his childhood when Makuu's float was actually Pua's float. Even after his reformation, Kion didn't fully trust him.

Kion didn't know what to think about it. If only Makuu could reveal more details, Kion could guess what he was hiding. Still, he was happy that his family was safe and hoped to see them someday.

"Hey" the young lion heard a squeaky female voice next to him. "Hey kid, over here"

Kion turned his head to the left and gasped.

There was a red skink on a large boulder that he was just passing by. It had red body with lighter markings on the muzzle and a couple of lines elegantly decorated from the behind of the neck to the back. Its belly was mahogany along the marking around its eyes with a line of yellow in the below.

The lion cub recognized the creature without a problem. That was Shupavu, the leader of the other skinks. Her sneaky smile disappeared, as her eyes full of terror looking at the young lion.

"Y-y-you're... alive?" she stuttered with a gulp. "H-how?"

"You!" Kion swam closer to the female red lizard that couldn't move from fright at the moment. "I didn't thought I will see you aga-!"

The lion cub paused after hearing what she said.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" he asked a little abashed. "Why would you think I'm dead?"

Shupavu came closer to the little lion to make sure it was Kion. It actually was. She felt the blood begin to flow faster into her heart. She raised her eyebrow with confusion.

"Y-you... You don't remember anything?"

Kion shook his head and glanced at the red skink.

"What are you talking about? What I should remember?"

Shupavu sighed with relief, when she was certain that the lion cub remembers nothing.

"Uhh... nothing?" the red skink hissed with nervous smile, feeling that she must wash off and tell about it for Kiburi. "I just wanted to be sure that everything is fine with you"

"Hold on" Kion frowned as he combined the facts. "A minute ago you asked me what I was doing here"

The red skink started sweating.

"I... I s-said that?" she asked, to which the young lion nodded. "Y-yeah... uhm... I..."

She felt how she had messed up the situation.

"I h-h-have to go!" Shupavu said and intending to avoid a terrible situation, made a reverse turn from Kion's face. "I hope murderers of your father will not find you here!"

The red skink paled. She just said that in front of him.

"W-what?" the lion cub stammered after hearing what she just said. Tears began to appear in his eyes.

Shupavu turned to Kion with a shaky body, while her eyes became more docile. She couldn't hide it anymore, The young lion has already found out.

"Listen, It was Kiburi's idea" the red skink said, as her voice was more squeaky. "I was just a spy and he did the rest"

There was anger in the watery eyes of the young lion.

"You killed my dad!" he yelled. "Do you think being a spy justifies you?"

"No, no" she shook her head with stressed expression. "I promise! I do not killed your father!"

"I HATE YOU!"

Kion closed his eyes and wagged his paw furiously at Shupavu.

"NO!"

He heard her terrifying scream that ran through his ears for couple of seconds.

All the rage left Kion, as he slowly opened his eyes. He was shocked.

The female red skink lay motionless, covered in blood on the boulder. Kion would have thought that she was sleeping were it not for the fact that her open terrified eyes were staring into nothing.


	6. Chapter 6

Kion stepped ashore and looked around nervously in hope no one was watching him.

Most of the float was still asleep, which gave the young lion greater freedom of movement without any suspicion. He began to walk back to the place where he woke up.

More tears welled from Kion's eyes.

He found himself in the wrong situation. Barely what he learned that his parents were killed by Outlanders and after a couple of seconds he became a killer himself.

He didn't want to kill Shupavu, but she made him angry very much.

Trying to hold back his tears, the little lion lay down next to Makuu, who woke up after hearing the sobbing right next to him.

The adult crocodile yawned and looked at his adoptive son.

"Is something wrong, Kion?" the leader of the crocodiles greeted him with a raised eyebrow. "You can confide in me, if you feel bad"

There was a growing anger in Kion that Makuu wasn't completely honest with him. However, he fought it when he realized that the adult crocodile was trying to protect him from those, who killed his father.

The young lion looked at the adult crocodile with a fake smile on his tawny muzzle.

"E-Everything is fine" Kion lied, wiping his eyes from fresh tears. "...just something got inside my eye"

Makuu sighed and tried to caress little lion's mane, but Kion pushed his green claw of the crocodile away from his head. Mostly from the fluffy red mane.

"I'm so sorry for that" the young lion apologized with a little saddened tone. "I'm still a little nervous after my fight with Kiburi"

"I know" the adult crocodile said with a smirk. "You kicked me in the eye and snout when we both were dozing"

Kion sighed and scratched the sandy ground.

"Whatever"

The lion cub put his furry chin on the sand surface. The first thing eyes saw was Hodari, who was watching the shore in solitude.

"Is he feeling okay?" the young lion asked, attracting the attention of Makuu. "I think I should talk to him"

"Who?" the leader of the crocodiles yelled out. At first not knowing who Kion means, suddenly noticed the royal blue gecko sitting in front of the lake. "Ah... Don't worry, he is going to be fine"

The former lion guard's orange-brown eyes froze staring at Hodari. For a split second he could see how the royal blue gecko is shivering.

"Are you sure about that, Makuu?" Kion asked with concern. "Hodari does not look like he is full of strength"

"I think you should leave him alone" the adult crocodile replied with a worry in his voice.

The lion cub looked at his adoptive father with puppy eyes.

"Can I?"

Makuu rolled his eyes and then glanced back at his adoptive son.

"Alright, but you should know" Makuu stated. "Our gecko friend is having a hard time now and the feeling of your presence can stress him more"

Kion raised his eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting that nobody wants to be around me?"

The leader of the crocodiles shook his head.

"Of course not" he smiled proudly. "As the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry"

Kion raised up and with a low sigh, missed several crocodiles and sat down next to Hodari. The royal blue gecko was looking at his own reflection in the lake with a thoughtful expression,

"H-hi Hodari, w-what's up?"

The royal blue gecko sighed loosely and drew attention to the young lion. The small reptile did not look happy as the lion cub remembered. Kion this time saw a grim and easily irritable blue lizard who hated social interaction.

"What do you want Kion?" Hodari asked dryly at the sight of a young lion. "Can't deal with your own problems?"

Kion scratched down his own neck with a chuckle.

"Sorry, I didn't want to annoy you in any way" the little cub admitted. "I just want to talk to you, will you give me permission?"

The royal blue gecko sighed and after a couple of seconds finally nodded.

"Fine, go ahead and let's get it over with"

The young lion smiled.

"I knew you will understand"

"Hmph" Hodari rolled his eyes and crossed both of his paws. His experiences had to drastically change his personality, "Whatever"

"Well, uhm" Kion asked with concern in his voice. "How are you feeling, right now?"

Hodari sighed.

"Good" the royal blue gecko replied with a bored tone. "What about you?"

Kion shrugged, as he looked back at him.

"Good" the lion cub replied back.

Hodari was silent and looked seriously into Kion's eyes.

This conversation was starting to become more awkward, nonethless Kion decided to drill it down more, just to cheer his little friend up.

He already had an idea. It could be very risky, but it was worth a try.

"How is your relationship with Makuu and the other crocodiles?" the lion cub started the question with a sheepish grin. "I heard they gave you the position of honorary crocodile"

Hodari raised his head forward. Kion could see a soft smile appearing on the gecko's face, but after a while he threw it away.

"Yes" the royal blue gecko nodded. "I've always dreamed of such a title from Makuu. I'm the happiest creature in the world"

Kion smirked, when he saw that his plan worked.

"The happiest, you say?" the lion cub cooed jokingly. "Then why are you so gloomy?"

Hodari blushed and looked around, after a while looking back at the lion friend. The royal blue gecko began to impulsively move his paws. He calmed down and glanced at Kion.

"Because" he replied firmly. "You should change the topic and talk to me about something else, or, just go away and don't bother me"

The lion cub sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well" Kion growled with concern. "I think leaving you alone is a better option"

Intending to get up and go to his adoptive father, something fell out of Kion's mane, as the sound of this thing falling on the ground echoed in Hodari's ears.

The royal blue gecko turned his eyes to the sound and saw a terrified young lion. When his black eyes on green sclera looked down, he froze.

Shupavu lay on the ground and her half-closed eyes stared idly at the freshly frightened gecko. Hodari came closer to the skink and shakingly touched her chest to check her heart.

It was not beating. The red skink was dead.

"H-Hodari, i-it's not how it looks like" Kion tried to explained, feeling that Makuu and his float are looking at him. "I can explain!"

"W-what have you done to her?" the royal blue gecko stammered with frightened eyes. "She is not moving!"

"I-It was an accident" the lion cub spoke with a nervous tone. "It was an horrible accident!"

Despite being a little smaller than her, the royal blue gecko gently lifted Shupavu's head and hugged it. Her body was already cold.

"Y-you killed her" he said, trying not to cry. "Y-you killed my love!"

"She was on Kiburi's si-"

"...leave... us... alone..."

Kion saw Hodari suffered because of him. He closed his sad eyes.

"Are you deaf, Kion?" the royal blue gecko continued with a more angry tone. "Leave us alone!"

The young lion sighed and stepped back away from him.

* * *

**To make it clear, Hodari does not know, that Shupavu works alongside Kiburi. That's why he was angry at Kion.**


	7. Chapter 7

Another amount of sand fell into the dug pit, as the crying from the surface began to intensify to louder weepings, as the Shupavu was buried.

"I didn't mean to!" the young lion mourned, when the dead red skink began to fade away under even more handfuls of sand. "She is sleeping! You can't bury her alive!"

This however, was not true. The cub was overreacting.

"Kion..." Makuu calmly cooed to calm the cub down. "Kitten... Please... Calm down..."

"P-please..." The feline acted under scared trance, repeating these words over and over again. Seeing Shupavu's body completely disappearing into the grave didn't made it better. "S-stop it..."

Kion looked terrified of what he did to her. He tried to overcome his anger towards her, but it consumed him, which ultimately led to what happened.

The leader of the crocodiles also did not hide his shock of what happened. He didn't blame Kion, knowing the young lion had done it unintentionally, but deep inside, he couldn't forgive himself that he and his subjects hadn't stopped him from violating The Cycle of Life.

He had no choice but to watch over the former prince even more, to protect him from others... and from his own unwitting actions, the little feline was close to made.

The crocodiles who finished filling the pit, glanced at their ruler.

"M-master... I think... that it would be better for a..." the one of them stammered with breaks in his voice. "...For a lion child to stay away from this place"

"What?"

The choice outraged Kion as soon as he heard it. The cub tried to take matters into his paws and tried to run up to the newly laid soil. However, he started running at the place doing dust around.

The conclusion arrived right to the cub's mind, realizing that Makuu was the one, who tugged his tail.

"Kion..." the male crocodile growled firmly, pulling Simba's son close to his light green underbelly. "You are going with me..."

The feline's eyes widened, seeing the sharp side of his adoptive father. That didn't calm him down, but made the cub more petulant and bustling.

With Kion on his back, Makuu without a second thought accepted the request of his subjects. The leader of the crocodiles couldn't let his adopted son wander anywhere around dangerous districts of Pride Lands surrounded by Outlanders, who were a threat to him.

"Alright, If Kiburi walked here with his group to check us out, please let me know when they are still far way" Makuu ordered. "I would need more time to transform Kion into one of us"

The both crocodiles nodded in unision, but one of those two quirked an eyebrow after a while.

"Master?" he asked with puzzlement. "How will we turn a prince into a crocodile? We can't turn animals into different animals, can we?"

Their leader laughed, few seconds after he heard that.

"You misunderstood, silly" Makuu stated smirking. "We have enough materials needed for his makeover"

Both reptiles felt more dumbfounded, listening to this strange kind of words. It seemed like they were starting to think their leader became out of one's mind.

"Pardon m-me?" one of the crocodiles asked. "What do you exactly mean?"

Makuu sighed with slight irritation.

"I will cover Kion with grass and mud and he will look like us"

The both green reptiles growled, when they finally understood what he had in mind.

The leader of the crocodiles rolled his eyes and with the young lion on his back, he lay down under the acacia tree, where he slept with him before.

This time, Makuu gave up sleep to be on guard. It cost him so much that he let Kion out of his sight. He didn't want to risk getting another animal murdered, again.

"Makuu..." Kion said, unable to bear this terrible silence anymore. "I'm so sorry..."

The adult crocodile let out a deep breath and after a moment's thought, he nudged his adopted son.

"It's ok" he whispered with a unbelievable soft tone, that wasn't even matching him. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you became terribly irresponsible"

The cub feeling offended by that, opened his muzzle to say something.

"I don't want to hear your explanations" Makuu declared keeping calm. "You'll be under my watch most of the time and most importantly..."

The leader of the crocodiles glared at his adopted son.

"...you can forget about dragging around places outside Lake Matope"

He didn't receive a reply.

"Very wise" the adult crocodile smirked with a raised eyebrow. "That means we've got along"

Kion stared back at the grass with regret in his eyes. He seemed offended at his adoptive father as soon as he called him "irresponsible".

He wasn't even sure to call Makuu his pal, after one of the crocodiles coldly killed his parents and the only friends.

The little feline felt terrible anxiety if Makuu's Float was as safe as he thought and away from the creatures lurking for him.

The cub's common sense told him that if he was just a egoistic and carefree young lion, Makuu would not save him, but on the other side, Kion was afraid that the Outlanders will find him hidden between the crocodiles.

If the little feline thought about it all day instead of taking a nap, his head would hurt from excess thinking.

"By the way..." Makuu said, throwing Kion out of his conceptions. "We are going for food tomorrow"

Kion glanced at the leader of the crocodiles. There was a terrifying thought in the little boy's head that they will leave him on his own

"We can't leave you here alone" the adult crocodile stated, as if he guessed the pondering of a small lion. "You are going with us"

The cub sighed with relief.

"But don't imagine yourself wandering around like on a trip" Makuu added firmly with a nervous smile. "Otherwise you will be within the reach of Outlanders. You will be next to me, so that you don't get hurt"

It seemed that Makuu didn't want to let anyone around know, that he was very worried about Kion.


	8. Chapter 8

**Leave a review, If you liked the chapter :)**

* * *

**MEANWHILE IN THE PRIDE ROCK**

Simba's house was no longer the same since it's owner was killed by rebels from Outlands. And anyway... It wasn't the lion's house anymore.

Kiburi after seizing the entire cave and Pride Lands for himself, decided to celebrate it as the new king of all these areas.

With rest after all this hard work.

Throwing out with his claws remaining lianas settled on the large rocks, the adult crocodile coiled up in sleeping position, proud of his conquest.

With the intention of taking a nap, Kiburi yawned and felt his eyes being more heavier. The sleep did not last long, when Kiburi opened his eyes again a few seconds after closing them.

Something disrupted him in a well-deserved rest he dreamed for a few weeks.

The green reptile glanced on a pool of blood still settling a few meters away. It has been still wet for several days since Simba's assassination. This blood stain had to disappear from the adult crocodile's sight.

He already knew, who could do it.

"Tamka!" Kiburi called out. "Get over here!"

By the end of half a minute, the bulky green crocodile with markings on the snout, was already at the entrance. He came closer to his leader.

"What is it, your majesty?" Tamka asked with his head raised. "How can I help you?"

His leader smirked and pointed at the stain.

"Could you be so kind..." he said with a growl. "...and lick this blood off my floor?"

Tamka looked at the puddle and then at his leader with a skittish gulp.

"B-But my k-king..." the bulky crocodile tried to get out of it. "I-It stinks t-terribly"

"So all the more it should disappear from here" Kiburi frowned. "Get to work, now!"

"B-bu-"

"Are you resisting against me?" the reptile raised his eyebrow. "If you want, I can arrange for you a personal visit with the lion who was lying here couple of days earlier, but trust me, you will not wake up"

The bulky green crocodile trembled in fear, hearing this. He was aware that despite the size, he had no chance in a duel with his master.

Knowing that the explanations would do nothing, Tamka reluctantly crawled over to the puddle, ocassionally peering back at his leader with puppy eyes, hoping that the new king would change his mind.

It didn't help, however, when Kiburi snarled furiously at his direction.

The green reptile with increasing anxiety, stood next to the blood and gazed at it in disgust.

"What are you waiting for?" Kiburi remarked. "Drink it down!"

Tamka took a deep breath and cleared his throat, before he lowered his snout towards the red liquid and unhurriedly stuck out his tongue.

He kept his tongue out and held it like that for a minute.

The bulky crocodile seemed hesitating, when then he lifted his snout up a little higher.

"Drink... it..." Kiburi glared furiously at his subject, when he saw that he was not listening to him like before. "DOWN!"

Tamka squealed nervously out of terror and inadvertently pushed his tongue into a rotting bloodstain.

Kiburi smirked with satisfaction. Tamka wasn't as weak as he thought in the past.

Despite his will, the bulky crocodile began to drink. The smell he felt was unbearable, but the reptile tried to remove it to meet the needs of the new king.

Several minutes passed and Tamka finally finished the blood feast. The green reptile went pale and his cheeks puffed wanting to vomit.

"You see? It was not so difficult to do" Kiburi teased with a laugh.

"N-no..." Tamka replied with great difficulty appearing in his voice. "I ate worse gems"

That was a lie. Drinking Simba's expired blood was the bulky crocodile's worst achievement he has ever done in life.

"Oh?" the new king quirked an eyebrow with a smirk. "If so, then you should do it more often"

Tamka paled, when he heard that. It was terrible. He didn't want to do this anymore as his second job.

Before the bulky crocodile could answer and wave his both claws, Kiburi burst out laughing and fell on his back.

"I was joking!" Kiburi teased again, barely controlling his laughter. "You were fooled!"

Not knowing what to say, Tamka also laughed awkwardly, hoping that his laughter would mix with the giggle from his leader, who was also the new king of the Pride Lands.

Kiburi stopped laughing.

"You are now free" the green reptile stated. "You can leave this place, now"

Tamka bowed to the new king and without a word, headed toward the exit.

The former member of the Makuu's float sighed with relief, realizing that he had nothing in the way of his nap. He could fall asleep now.

Kiburi's sleep was disturbed again when his second servant, Nduli, ran into Pride Rock.

"What is it now?" The green reptile rolled his eyes with annoyed look. "Can't you just let me sleep?"

"Your highness!" the slender crocodile bowed. "All Pride Landers are afraid of us after you killed our former king and banished his son!"

Kiburi smirked.

"Very well" he replied without hesitation. "Everything goes according to plan"

"Other animals are now standing under your new home, Pride Rock" Nduli added with a laugh. "They seem to want to hear the new rules from your words"

The new king giggled, making a sound of merging teeth.

"I have long wanted to do this" Kiburi stated calmly. "I'm sick of watching other animals attack each other next to my home"

The adult crocodile slowly got up from his bed and began to walk forward to the exit, but before going out he turned his eyes to Nduli.

"The civil war must end"

The slender crocodile nodded and followed his leader.

Passing through the lianas covering the entrance to Pride Rock, Kiburi and Nduli found themselves outside in the light of the sun.

Tamka was already there standing right on the edge of the rock jutting out from its entrance. His eyes were on the crowd of terrified animals. When the bulky crocodile realized that his master had arrived, he stood next to him.

Kiburi cleared his throat, to begin his speech as the new king of the Pride Lands from his new home.


	9. Chapter 9

"My dear Pride Landers!" the adult crocodile shouted, loud enough for other animals to hear. "I heard that you want from me, your new king, also new rules"

After these words, Kiburi picked out the fuss coming out from the crowd. It seemed like they hated and disobeyed their new new ruler.

"Nduli..." the green reptile glared at his companion with unsatisfied look "Show them all, who's in charge here"

"Yes, your majesty..."

The slender crocodile slowly came closer to the cliff's edge raised his head up and loudly screeched. It lasted for several dozen seconds until the sounds of the animals stopped.

Nduli stood back next to his master, when he was really sure that the animals stopped arguing with each other.

"Great job, Nduli" Tamka laughed, impressed of his friend's "roar". "They are quiet like the ocean"

The slender crocodile dumbly smiled, proud of himself.

"Silence... Both of you..." Kiburi murmured. "I need to agree something with MY subjects"

When the adult crocodile stood near the crater against which stood the inhabitants of Pride Lands, he dragged one of the claws across the stone surface of his new home.

"My dear Pride Landers!" the new king repeated in a more formal and diplomatic tone. "I have heard that you are in a state of civil war and you have had enough of it"

Kiburi smirked, when no insulting cry came out.

"I would like to inform..." the adult crocodile coughed, when that word appeared before his eyes. "...that I want a peace"

The former member of Makuu's float could see that his subjects were looking confused. The duo of crocodiles behind him as well.

"I would also like to have the honor!" Kiburi added with a calm tone. "To set MY state rules, which you will have to follow"

Pride Landers became silent after hearing this. Some of them tried to focus and hear, what the crocodile wanted to say, while the others ignored him.

"The first rule of my own words..." Kiburi said. "It is forbidden to attack other inhabitants of Pride Lands, otherwise..."

"Otherwise... what?"

The adult crocodile stopped talking and moving his head, scanned the ground in search of this voice. It turned out that it belonged to a young cheetah standing closest to Pride Rock.

The Outlands crocodile rolled his eyes. It was another brat he came across

"Otherwise?" Kiburi repeated with spine-chilling tone, as he showed more pairs of the sharp teeth. "You will found yourself in the pit of my stomach as my meal"

The green reptile grinned, seeing the little creature begin to weep, and then be hugged by its scared mother

"The second rule..."

Once the new king said it, everyone stood at attention, which was satisfying for his eyes.

"Do not leave the Pride Lands..." the crocodile stated firmly. "My friends will guard the borders, so that none of you would even think about crossing it... and if someone is brave enough to do it, the fugitive will end like your "nice" ex-king, Simba, his family and the Lion Guard"

Makini, Kiara's friends and most of the young creatures that Kion and his group was familiar with, were shedding tears, while Anga cried hidden in the nearby trees.

The young martial eagle gasped, when something grabbed her by a feet and then started bringing her down.

"Meh, It's not worth thinking about the past" Kiburi commented with a growl. "A shiny and better future awaits you"

The adult crocodile clenched his jaw and decided to play the emotions of the audience when they were ignoring each of the sentence he said.

"As a king, I will have my own chambermaid who will clean" the green reptile smirked. "My servants have already found the perfect one among you"

Kiburi got out of the way to show the view of the terrified bird being held by the wings by Tamka and Nduli's jaws. The two crocodiles looked cheerful with their prey.

Every animal in front of the Pride Rock gasped with shock.

Anga tried to break free, but the weakness crying gave her, prevented her from this.

"Let me go!" she yelled, lifting her feet up in the air. "I did nothing wrong!"

Kiburi crawled closer to her and with one bite, he painfully pulled out one of the feathers placed right on her neck.

"Everytime, you will disobey me" Kiburi said coldly. "The female bird will have one wing broken, making her unable to fly"

The adult crocodile glared at his shocked subjects.

"Do you really want her to suffer because of you?"

All Pride Landers stared at the female martial eagle with surprise. As Kiburi mentioned, Anga may have been hurt because of them, and they didn't want it.

It seemed that none of them present but the king had a choice.

The first to bow were the elephants at the very end, then gorillas and then more smaller animals, which gave a domino effect.

This surprised their new king expecting a different reaction from them.

"Oh?" Kiburi cooed and quirked an eyebrow. "You all want to listen to me?"

"N-no..." Anga let out a sob. "Do not listen to him..."

The green reptile felt uncomfortable at the sight of such obedience in his direction. No one was so obedient to the crocodile, not even his own teammates, who often tried to do something first instead of thinking.

"Let her go..."

Tamka and Nduli looked at their master.

"What?"

"Am I not clear enough?" Kiburi repeated with sadness. "Let her free"

The servants upon order let go both of Anga's wings.

When the bird felt finally free, she glanced at her kidnapper with confused expression on the beak. She had no words to describe it.

"W-wha... Why?" Anga stammered surprised by his sudden different behavior.

"I give you my honor" Kiburi rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I should not bully my subordinates like that"

Anga still felt dumbfounded and did not hide her surprise.

After a few seconds, she sighed with relief finally feeling safe.

"Thanks, your majesty... I guess..."

With these words, the martial eagle waved her wings and slowly rose into the air.


	10. Chapter 10

**COUPLE OF YEARS EARLIER, PRIDE LANDS**

"Hey, Kibi... wake up..."

The young crocodile opened his eyes to see his mother. The young reptile stood up, yawned and stretched his body with his closed eyes.

"There you go, buddy" his mother said softly. "A better day is waiting for you"

Kiburi glanced around the watering hole area. He silently watched as the other young crocodiles made their way towards the river with their families.

The female adult crocodile gingerly lifted up her son, who after a few seconds found himself hidden between the teeth of his parent.

"M-mom?" the young crocodile declared shyly. "I'm big enough to crawl on my own. You don't have to carry me in your mouth anymore"

His mother rolled her eyes ignoring her son, as she made her way along with other crocodiles around her.

"Mom..." Kiburi continued, when he felt the eyes of other young reptiles on himself.

The laugh of the other children was too loud for him and because of this, he shed a single tear. He felt terrible feeling, which he couldn't or didn't want to describe.

The young crocodile clenched his jaw and closed his eyes with a thought, that the sound will stop itself.

The sound slowly diminished, but Kiburi's headache remained for a few seconds. The little one was so hypersensitive to the loud sounds being close to him.

Kiburi waved his snout in both direction, trying to shake off the remnants of his confusion.

When the young crocodile once again opened his both eyes, he guessed that he was already at the river with others. He sighed with relief.

His mother cringed and opened her snout wider so that her child could leave freely. That, she was the only crocodile in the area who carried her son in this way prompted other adult crocodiles to look at her.

When the offspring of other crocodiles submerged in water, their gaze focused on the young reptile who came out.

Kiburi awkwardly smiled and also put his limbs into warm water. He started swimming ahead, ignoring the fact that his peers were scanning him with their eyes and throwing insults at his direction.

"Mollycoddle!"

"Stick-in-the-mud!"

"Sissy!"

Although it was visible after him, he was not showing empathy toward them. Whatever, he couldn't make friends with those bullies anyway, because of being too nervous around each of the little crocodiles.

"Hold on, honey!" the adult female crocodile shouted to him. "I'm going along with you!"

The young crocodile glanced back with a smile.

"Do not worry, mom!" he shouted back. "I will care of myself!"

Arriving on the other side of the river, Kiburi emerged from the water and began to crawl right into depth of the tall grass.

"Adventure!" he cried out loudly, before he found himself behind the bushes.

"No so fast, young reptile!" his mother caught him and said with a firm tone. "I actually doubt, that you can handle it yourself without my participation"

The young crocodile rolled his eyes with annoyed look.

"Mom..." Kiburi murmured with a sigh. "You are exaggerating, j-just let me..."

"Nope" she shook her head. "Don't you know what predators lurk here?"

The little reptile was lifted and forced to be inside of his mother's mouth again.

"Let's experience this adventure together"

The adult female crocodile began moving along through the tall grass, while checking with her tongue if her son is all right and fine.

The little creature just grunted annoyed under his breath, when some of her saliva fell on him.

"Are you ok, sweetie?" his mother asked, worried by this groan. "Did something hurt you?"

Kiburi sighed.

"No, mother" he said calmly. "Everything is fine"

"Are you sure?" his mother raised her eyebrow. "You sounded like you were suffering"

The young crocodile frowned.

"I'm... fine..."

"Nice to know, sweetie" the female adult crocodile sighed with relief. "You've been very gentle creature, ever since you hatched"

"Mom... I'm not gentle..."

"...You couldn't get out of the egg yourself, so I helped you with that" she replied softly, taking note of it. "Yes, you couldn't do anything without my help"

"But mom..." Kiburi reminded. "You follow me everywhere, even when I swim"

"It's for your own good" she corrected without a second thought. "You need me and other adults"

The young crocodile yawned and rested his head on the claws. It seemed like it was time for his sleep, which his mother interrupted him.

Kiburi closed his heavy eyes and fell asleep.

The adult female crocodile being focused on the road, didn't even realize that her son was sleeping in her mouth.


	11. Chapter 11

Kion woke up from his long slumber with a sudden gasp after a few drops of fresh water splashed across his eyes.

The cub coughed as he glanced around. The first thing he saw, were dark green scales running down a massive back head of a big reptile. Kion also spotted more shades of green above his red mane, through which the sun rays tried to break.

His adoptive father along with his float sailed through Flood Plains, their former home.

Kion yawned and rested his paw on something warm and scaly from where he quickly took it with a flinch. The young lion learned that it was Hodari, who was also in deep lethargy.

The cub sighed with relief, once the royal blue gecko managed to sleep without even a sign of notice.

"Hold on..." Makuu stopped his journey for a moment. "I need to talk with my son"

The leader of the crocodiles quickly shook his head.

"Er, I mean, the prince"

His subjects nodded and continued their swimming in equal pace, leaving him in the far back. When Makuu was confident enough that he was alone with Kion and Hodari, the green reptile dived a little slower than teammates.

"You are awake?" the adult crocodile cleared his throat and greeted. "I didn't even notice..."

Makuu turned his head enough to see the young lion with his eyes.

"Don't wake up the little guy" the leader of the crocodiles put in with a calm whisper, talking directly about Hodari. "Like you, he also needs some of the rest"

Kion silently nodded giving a sign that he understands, but his expression remained woeful. The little lion clearly wasn't in the mood.

Makuu spotted it and raised his eyebrow.

"Are you alright, twinkle toes?" he asked, concernedly. "You don't seem interested in conversation with me"

The cub sighed and glanced at his adoptive father trying to keep a smile.

"Makuu..." Kion spoke softly with the same expression. "Why didn't you tell me that my family was killed by the Outlanders?"

The leader of the crocodiles quivered, upon hearing that. The green reptile took a breath again without even stopping to swim behind his float.

"Kion... You know?..." Makuu said, trying to avoid the topic. "Let's talk about it some other time"

"Well..." the little cub growled and rolled his eyes. "Can you at least say, why didn't you tell me about that?"

"Nope" the leader of the crocodiles firmly shook his head.

"Please..." Kion pushed with sadness. "I need to kno-"

"KION!" the adult crocodile suddenly snapped, interrupting his sentence. "Are you deaf? This is not a good time to talk about it! You should go back to sleep"

The young lion fell silent after hearing this.

Strange. Even Makuu who believed that the crocodiles were above the Circle of Life, did not even want to talk about his own rulers.

"Sorry about that..." the leader of the crocodiles murmured under his breath seeing Kion's fright. "But you live with us now"

Kion slowly raised on sitting position and glanced at his adoptive father.

"I thought..." the cub swallowed. "...this is your land"

The green reptile smirked.

"It's OUR land, buddy" he corrected with a nice grin. "This is a better term"

"Yeah..." Kion stated. "Sounds a lot of better"

Despite the smile on him, Makuu noticed that the young lion was still sad. He decided to somehow improve his mood.

"If you want, I can swim further to give you a opportunity can talk to your new uncles and aunts"

"Uncles and aunts?" Kion repeated, rubbing his eyes. "Is this talking about other crocodiles in your float?"

"Yup" the leader of the crocodiles chuckled with a smirk on the narrow snout. "Children belonging to our group will want to play different games with you to meet you better"

"Oh, nice to know..." the cub smiled, but stopped after couple of seconds. "W-wait... There are other children in your float?"

The adult crocodile nodded with a growing satisfaction in his expression.

"That's great!" Kion beamed, forgetting about his old problems for a while. "I can't wait to have a conversation with them. I hope they get along with my group"

Makuu rolled his eyes hearing this.

"Yeah, yeah" the green reptile commented with a sigh. "Let's go now"

Before Kion could answer to this, he felt how the leader starts swimming faster.

"Hey guys!" the male crocodile shouted toward his friends. "Wait for me!"

All members of the float looked at him. A wide smile also appeared on their snouts.

"Well, well, well..." one of them spoke with a laugh. "Makuu returned to the hunt"

"I wouldn't call it hunting" their leader corrected with a soft growl. "Someone want to say hello to you"

The whole float stared at the little new member, who looked shyly at each crocodile individually. Kion didn't know why, but he felt that all of them wanted to eat him.

"H-hello..." the young lion started with embarrassment appearing in his voice. "...strangely looking crocodiles?"

To his surprise, each of them began to laugh.

"Aww... what a cutie" he heard a soft feminine voice. "I could eat him up"

"Honey" the masculine voice said to her. "It is not right to say about eating next to the prince, after what he went through... you know..."

"Oh, sorry" she said probably regretting her mistake. "I forgot about it"

Kion sighed, while Makuu cleared his throat to get the attention of his subjects. Each of the crocodiles then began to listen.

"I would like to tell you that my little champ would like to make friends with your and your children" he exclaimed wisely. "If anyone has something against it, must remain silent"

Everyone in the group fell silent and separately approached the young lion. Kion trembled uncomfortably, realizing that he had never received such attention from other Pride Landers.

Before the second passed, his red mane was wet from licking of the green reptiles.

Kion sighed and rolled his eyes with annoyed look on his muzzle.


	12. Chapter 12

**COUPLE OF DAYS EARLIER**

"Drop it and wake up, Kiburi"

The crocodile high-pitchedly and tiredly growled, gingerly smacked his jaw and leisurely raised two pairs of eyelids in response to the voice with a yawn.

"Would you think what would happen if Makuu knew you are here?" the silhouette of the dark blue color angirly spoke, while the shades of orange, yellow, gray and tiny bit of white sitting on its' back were seen behind in the distance. "He would make you a pulp!"

The injured reptile blinked with wonder and almost immediately tilted his head to remember the silhouettes in front from the more comfortable angle to him.

A small group of animal kids glared at the crocodile with much hesitancy to his presence in the place.

The dark blue honey badger with even much reluctance, disinfected the creature's head from the wound left there with a wet leaves. Kiburi almost screeched from pain, when a little mammal touched the wrong place.

Kion caught the reptile's snout just in time, before he could make any louder noise.

"Do not even try it, nasty crocodile..."

Much to the lion prince's distraction, Kiburi buried his head deep in both of the claws and did something that nobody even expected.

The reptile was crying, tears streaming down his nostrils and then landing on the ground of the inside of Pride Rock. He was expressed, by being very shaken and hurt.

The situation turned out to be very unpleasant to the eyes of Lion Guard. They felt sorry for accidental insult in their foe's direction, but this was not what caused the group to think deeply.

It was shocking to them that a boulder-hard resident of the Outlands was crying like a newborn child and didn't hide it.

"Who awe you?" Kiburi childishly sobbed, lisping as a addition to shock for The Lion Guard team. "What am I doing hewe? What have I done?"

"A-are y-you seeing w-what I'm seeing?" Fuli demanded an answer, almost shocked as everyone of her friends. "Did I hit my head and I'm dreaming?"

"Guys... don't take it seriously..." Kion said, unfazed by it. "He pretends to take us for pity"

The lion prince then glanced at his best friend and adoptive uncle. Bunga.

"Bunga, friend" he ordered with appearing harsh tone in his voice. "Find out what this traitor wants and let him come back from where he came from"

The honey badger calmly treated the crocodile's wounds and then, kneeling down peeked at him.

"Please, look at me..."

The reptile slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes on order. He was obedient.

"Do you know how you get here?" Beshte carefully asked.

The foe shook his head and kept crying.

"How old are you?" Ono added.

The crocodile dropped his head, trying to remember something. After a moment of reflection, he glanced ahead again feeling dumbfounded.

"I'm sowwy, don't wemembew"

Kion's eyes widened at this, as he slowly approached the frightened reptile with increasing certainty that his old enemy was not smiling inwardly, and most importantly... He was never saying sorry!

The young cub saw a small green terrified lizard, lost in the situation in which he found himself.

Kiburi was really scared. The crocodile seemed absent and really didn't know what was happening.

"He isn't lying..." the lion prince mumbled. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

Bunga stepped closer, gingerly opened the reptile's jaw, looked there inside, closed it and then marched up to his covered head with leaves.

The honey badger unhurriedly trailed his fingers across the scratches, among with a soft gasp from the water creature's side.

Bunga found the cause of pain and the likewise reason of the memory loss.

"That is the problem..." the honey badger explained to others. "Our buddy must have hit something hard. "This is the reason for all this"

"Kiburi has amnesia?" the female cheetah raised her eyebrow.

"You could say that" their small friend replied wisely. "But I'd say it's a personality change more"

"What's that?" the young lion asked.

"How to say that..." Bunga scratched his chin in thoughts. "Kiburi lost his true self, and as a replacement came... just that, or something how should I describe it by "the anew kid syndrome" "

The rest of the team shared glances with each other, before their gaze returned to their friend again.

"The anew kid syndrome?"

"That's right" the honey badger nodded. "Kiburi went through a childhood trauma that left a gap in his memory, and it memory stayed for years, before he "activated" it by hitting his forehead with the stone"

"Can it be cured in any way?" the hippo asked.

"Of course, of course" the honey badger scurried to his teammates. "But it's not worth doing"

"Huh, why?" Kion pointed out.

"We do not want Kiburi to be in turmoil among us again, are we?" Bunga shrugged. "It is better for Kiburi to be a child in the body of an adult, than vengeful beast wanting "his" float back"

"Wait, wait" Ono blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

Bunga let out a sigh, before his eyes went to his best friend

"He must live here, in Pride Lands, Kion"

"Forget it!" the young cub replied almost without hesitation. "My dad won't agree to keep him here. He had banished him away once"

"You didn't even consider the option, Kion!" the cheetah told him. "This is a good way out"

"But you don't understand!" Kion tried to explain. "If only my parents saw it, they would be angry"

"Why should we be angry, son?" Kion heard a voice and turned back. "You didn't do anything wrong to be disappointed in you"

Two lions stood at the entrance and slowly approached their son and teammates of his team. Kion stepped forward as the others tried to hide Kiburi behind them.

"M-mom, dad... I... I.. I can explain everything"

Simba rolled his eyes and smiled.

"What do you want to explain?" he asked softly. "We don't mind you helping Kiburi in need and returning him back to Pride Lands. I'm already sick of banishing"

No one in the place noticed the appearing treacherous smirk on Kiburi's snout.

Everything was going according to his plan.


	13. Chapter 13

Kion was bothered by a terrible soreness that ran from the top of his head through the sinuses and then ended its journey on the little cub's spine. The feline tried to pass it over and rub it away on his adoptive father's back, but with a sharp pain uprearing on the snout, he was left with staying awaken for good night.

The young lion froze immediately, as he just lifted his eyelids in order to wait until sunrise.

He, the assassin of the royal family, motionlessly lurking in the crowd of the green sleeping reptiles, haughtily grinning towards the bait.

Kiburi was there or seemed to be right in front of Kion's widened and shocked eyes.

The little cub was paralysed by horror and his pulse jumping up and down on verge of hyperventilation, second by second feeling the sweat marching from his forehead to land in the pond beneath him. He couldn't scream by all these factors and was left without any visible movement.

Kiburi with same grin as before, while the young lion shivered at every his crawl.

Many thoughts passed through Kion's mind. Was there a snitch among the crocodiles who revealed the young prince's hiding place? A deceiver that switched sides in exchange for the runaway prince?

"Makuu... Makuu..." the feline begged the crocodile on whereupon he was lying, but the reptile adult ignored the kitten with a lifted wheezing. "Kiburi is there... Help... He is looking at me... Please... Help me..."

It was all for nothing. His adoptive father was fast asleep and possibly in the shallow deep of his best dream.

"Kion, Kion, Kion" Kiburi chanted maliciously, as he crawled closer his prey, which took a toll on the young lion's eyes. "The crocodile cub, the crocodile cub"

Ignoring Kiburi's babble, Kion in state of desperation to came upon the solution to chase away the intruder, grasped Makuu's darker green scales in order to use them as a weaponry.

Just in time, when the little cub reached for them, he was left surprised for a second moment.

The pair of green arms with black claws of unknown origin held them instead. The feline dumbfounded, started to look for a young reptile hatchling that possibly also crawled on his adoptive father's back for a sleep, but nevertheless he saw empty space.

The thoughts of the former prince of Pride Lands were easily sealed with a one simple glance at his belly and then green underbelly.

In an instant, he felt frail not recognizing his own body.

Scales after scales, Kion desperately grabbed his head. More dry surface of the flakes. By following his finger from up to down through the nostrils, he was stunned by the length of its muzzle.

It wasn't the furry muzzle he knew from the other lions, but a long scaly snout in its place.

Kion yelled in top of his lungs and dropped his eyelids to the tune of the chirping birds. Freeing them from the lockdown after a couple of seconds had a wholy different effect.

The murderer was gone, the feline's beautiful golden fur was back, his crocodile family including Makuu were watching over him, and the young lion himself was welcomed by the sunrise.

"You gave us quite a scare, Kion!" the leader of the crocodiles with a touched tone, sighed with relief and greeted the awakened little lion with a tight shielding hug. "You were almost part of the Circle of Life!"

Kion spotted being half submerged in cold water among the tall grass. The little cub was bathing and his head ached terribly.

"W-what...?" the young lion stammered. "W-what happened... Why are you all staring at me like that..." he also perceived most of them with tears in their eyes. "Why are you all crying?"

He felt drops of fake rain landing on his back and then in the water. "...Makuu?... You too?"

His adoptive father whimpered in a style dissimilar to his personality while cuddling the feline child, enough to make the little cub question his sanity.

"I underestimated your will, my little chump" the adult crocodile waded as clearly as he could. "I swear I'll be more careful with you from then on"

Kion nodded to each of those words, still dazed by not being familiar with the subject.

"...I w-was just having a strange dream, Makuu..." Kion explained without hesitation. "It's nothing..."

"Your highness... you weren't sleeping..." one of the Float members raised the tone, the teary bulky green crocodile spoke. "...Your eyes were wide open and you stayed that way since the time you slept under the sun"

"Wait... what?"

"Forgive me... your majesty" the bulky crocodile dropped his head in visible shame. "I left you there and didn't know the sun could be harmful to you, therefore I have received the appropriate punishment from the leader"

The green reptile tilted his head and pointed at a big bruise placed on his eye. "You see... "

"Makuu... Y-you did that?" Kion tiredly quirked an eyebrow. "You didn't have to be so strict with your subject. I'm sure he did it unintentionally"

The leader of the crocodiles wiped the tears from his eyes and glared at the bulky crocodile afterwards.

"Old and traditional Kion" the adult crocodile looked back at adoptive son, then swallowed and smiled. "My friend... Always at our side when we need him"

A thought wandered through Kion's head, finally he asked.

"Did you only save me because you owed it to me?" he asked.

Makuu stopped hugging the little cub and shook his head with a high gasp coming from this one question.

"No! Of course not, Kion!" he replied to it strictly, very indignant at this question. "What crossed your mind to ask me this?"

"Oh, I don't know..." the young mammal rolled his eyes, saying this in sarcastic tone. "You know, since once me and my friends both saved you from animal plan. "

Makuu wiped his eyes and shook his head again in reply, surprised by the suspicions of his adopted son.

"It seems you are probably not in the mood today" the leader of the crocodiles described it just from Kion's sarcastic tone. "What's gotten into you?"

The adult crocodile approached the little cub and gently caressed his back.

"You don't have to sleep this time" the leader of the crocodiles said. "But be smart enough to stay in the shade and take a bath more often in the river"

"You are telling me I'm stupid?" Kion pouted. "Look at yourself, big lizard"

"No... I'm just saying..."

"YOU THINK I'M DUMBER THAN YOU!?"

"Kion, calm down, I-"

"Stop treating me like a stupid! Look at yourself in the reflection in water!"

As the duo argued with each other, the two members of Makuu's float exchanged glances.

"The prince is clearly not in the mood..." the first one said with a nod from his friend.


End file.
